Seeing the green-haired kid standing in the middle of the dojo, facing off against Kuina, Sora couldn't help but burst out laughing.
This guy's just too cute—thinking more swords make him stronger, all while the bamboo sword he's biting keeps slipping out of his mouth.
Is this Zoro? Man, he's adorable as a kid. Bullying—er, messing with him—must be a blast!
"Hahaha!"
The onlookers shot Sora puzzled looks, their faces full of question marks.
Zoro, hearing the laughter, furrowed his brows and glared at Sora, his eyes wide. His gut told him this guy was mocking him.
"Hey! You, the silver-haired one!"
Sora glanced around, pointing at himself. "Me?"
"Yeah, you! Stop looking around. What's so funny? Wanna fight?"
Sora waved his hands dismissively. "Carry on, carry on. Just remembered something hilarious." He covered his mouth, shoulders shaking with barely suppressed laughter, obvious to anyone with eyes.
This silver-haired jerk's definitely laughing at me, Zoro thought. Once I deal with this girl, I'll show him who's boss.
Koshiro glanced at Sora with a helpless sigh, adjusting his glasses. "Alright, prepare to begin. Bow to the altar."
Kuina and Zoro turned to the dojo's altar, bowing respectfully.
Kuina cast a scornful glance at the green-haired kid across from her. Gripping her sword's hilt with both hands, she flicked it upward and slashed forward in a swift arc.
Her speed was blinding. Zoro, caught off guard, barely raised his swords in a cross above his head to block.
Crack!
He parried the first strike, but another came immediately, heavier this time. It sent him flying, his bamboo swords scattering across the floor.
"Damn it!"
Zoro scrambled to his feet, grabbing two nearby swords. He shifted into a side stance, one sword forward, one back—a makeshift Two-Sword Style.
Kuina eyed him oddly. "Have you actually studied Two-Sword Style?"
"No way! This is my first time holding bamboo swords!" Zoro glared, shouting defiantly.
Damn it, I'm strong! I'll get even stronger! No way I'm losing to some girl! Gripping both swords, he roared and charged at her.
"Yaaaah!"
Kuina watched him rush forward. With a fluid motion, she raised her sword, stepped forward, and slashed downward.
"Step-Slash!"
The strike was too fast for Zoro to react. The bamboo sword cracked against his forehead.
Whack!
The sharp sound echoed beyond the dojo. Zoro's eyes rolled back, and he froze before collapsing to the floor.
At the edge of the dojo, the spectators—Sausage-Lips, Flat-Head, and Glasses-Fatty—gaped at Zoro's crumpled form.
"Ow, ow, ow!" Flat-Head Alo winced, sweating as if reliving his own defeat.
"Why didn't he dodge?" Sausage-Lips Ata questioned, brow furrowed in confusion.
The senior disciple refereeing shouted, "One point! Match over!"
Kuina looked down at Zoro coldly. "This kid's like a wild beast—just charging in recklessly."
"Kuina!" Koshiro called, exasperated.
"He's a total amateur, trying to play with Two-Sword Style. You're a decade too early," Kuina scoffed, her face dripping with disdain.
Sora suddenly teleported beside Kuina, patting her head. "Alright, Kuina, that's enough."
"There it is—Sora's teleportation!"
"So cool every time!"
Glasses-Fatty Ahua, thrilled at seeing Sora vanish from one spot and reappear next to Kuina, jumped excitedly and ran toward the center of the dojo. Others slowly gathered around.
Kuina's face lit up with a smile at Sora's arrival. Over their five years together, she'd grown to rely on him. Despite being only a year older, he carried himself with a maturity beyond his age—like an adult, a big brother, and someone she admired and chased after.
"Sora, this kid doesn't know anything. All he does is charge in blindly."
Sora chuckled. "You'll see how stubborn this guy is. He'll give you headaches soon enough."
He turned to Zoro, still sprawled on the floor, and crouched down. With a theatrical, almost chuunibyou flair, he tapped Zoro's forehead with his index and middle fingers. "Young man, work hard and chase after Kuina!"
Standing, he grinned at Koshiro. "Master, this new junior's got some serious potential!"
"Damn it, stop talking like I'm not here! I'll beat you all!" Zoro's defiant shout rang through the dojo.
How'd that silver-haired guy appear out of nowhere? And when he touched me, I couldn't move—what kind of power is that? Just you wait!
Kuina peeked out from behind Sora, her voice cool. "Oh? Wanna go another round?"
Zoro, trembling but resolute, stood up, brushing off dust. "A loss is a loss," he admitted gruffly.
Koshiro approached, smiling warmly at him. "Straightforward. Not bad. So…"
"Ha! I'm joining your dojo. Got a problem with that?" Zoro barked.
"None at all," Koshiro replied, his eyes crinkling with approval.
Zoro spun to face Kuina, eyes blazing. "I'll train like crazy and beat you!" Then he glared at Sora. "And you, Silver-Hair, just wait. Once I take her down, you're next. Remember that!"
"Is this guy an idiot? He can't even beat Kuina, and he's challenging Sora?" Alo muttered to the others, stunned.
Koshiro beamed at Zoro. "Good spirit."
Sora, amused by Zoro's feisty attitude, pinched his cheek. "Kawaii! But you'll have to call me Senior Brother from now on. Or just Big Bro works too, haha!"
Sora's words dripped with mock fear, but his cheeky grin betrayed him.
"What's your name?" he asked, though he already knew, unable to resist teasing.
Zoro, realizing he could move this time when Sora touched him, swatted his hand away, glaring stubbornly. "Stop treating me like a kid! The name's Roronoa Zoro, got it?"
"Hmm… Little Zoro it is, then!"
"Damn it, I said stop treating me like a kid!" Zoro roared, practically feral.
If he weren't still reeling from the fight, he'd have swung his sword at that smug, handsome face. Being good-looking doesn't mean I won't punch you!
"Sora, let's train! We've wasted enough time today," Kuina called, her tone tinged with a haughty edge.
Sora turned to see her on the verge of exploding. With a grin, he put his hands behind his head and strolled toward the backyard. "Alright, alright, let's go. Our little Kuina's getting jealous!"
Kuina hurried after him, her face flushing as she tilted her head. "Who's jealous? I just don't want to waste time!"
At the dojo's entrance, Sora paused and looked back at Zoro.
"Hey, Zoro!"
Zoro glanced up, confused. "What?"
"If you wanna get strong fast, follow us!"
With that, Sora stepped out the back door, already gleeful at the thought of "training" (teasing) Zoro.
Kuina shot Zoro a disdainful glare before rushing after Sora.
The dojo erupted in chatter. Ata gawked at Zoro. "You're so lucky! Getting to train with Sora?!"
Zoro, puzzled, looked at them. "Is Silver-Hair that strong?"
Ahua pushed up his glasses, buzzing with excitement. "Of course! Sora beat everyone in the dojo except Master within days of arriving!"
Ata chimed in loudly, "Kuina trained with Sora for just a year and was beating adults in the dojo. It's been almost four years now—who knows how strong they are?"
The others stared at Zoro with envy. Only Kuina had ever trained with Sora. What made this green-haired newbie so special?
"Alright, enough gawking! Get back to training!" Koshiro called.
"It's not that Sora won't train you," he added. "His methods require a certain aptitude. You lot wouldn't last."
"Yes, Master!" they replied, grabbing their bamboo swords and resuming practice.
Those two are that strong? Zoro thought. I've gotta train harder!
Eyes burning with determination, he turned to Koshiro. "Hey, old man, now that I'm your student, what moves you teaching me?"
Koshiro's lip twitched at "old man." Another troublemaker. He rapped Zoro's head. "Call me Master, got it?"
"Ow, ow, ow!" Zoro clutched his head, still sore from Guina's strike.
Seeing Koshiro raise his hand again, Zoro shouted, "Yes, Master!"
Koshiro nodded, satisfied, and looked down at him. "I'll teach you swordsmanship. For training, you'll follow Sora. Don't let his age fool you—he's exceptional."
"Really that good?" Zoro muttered skeptically.
"Oh, yes," Koshiro said, his eyes glinting with reminiscence. That boy's a true monster.
Was Sora's ability a Devil Fruit? He wasn't affected by seawater, which was odd. And his physical growth—improving at an alarming rate. Where would he end up?
Koshiro glanced at Zoro. Another monster. That drive and physique—it's hard not to get stronger. Especially with Sora around.
He smiled, shaking his head. Two monsters as my students.
"Go find Sora," he said, giving Zoro a meaningful look before returning to his cushion at the front of the dojo.
Zoro paused, then grabbed his bamboo sword, eyes blazing with resolve, and ran to the backyard.
Alright, Silver-Hair, let's see if your training can make me stronger. If it doesn't, I'm cutting you down!
(End of Chapter)